Advent Gatherings—First Thursday in Advent
Order of Service
Evening Prayer—LSB 243
Psalmody—Psalm 115 Sung responsively, whole-verse by whole-verse, congregation will begin singing at the second verse.
Office Hymn—WH #23, Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord
1 Let the earth now praise the Lord,
Who has truly kept His word
And at last to us did send
Christ, the sinner's help and friend.
2 What the fathers most desired,
What the prophets' heart inspired,
What they longed for many’a year,
Stands fulfilled in glory here.
3 Abram's promised great reward,
Zion's helper, Jacob's Lord—
Him of twofold race behold—
Truly came, as long foretold.
4 Welcome, O my Savior, now!
Hail! My Portion, Lord, art Thou.
Here, too, in my heart, I pray,
Oh, prepare Thyself a way!
5 King of Glory, enter in;
Cleanse it from the filth of sin,
As Thou hast so often done;
It belongs to Thee alone.
6 As Your coming was in peace,
Quiet, full of gentleness,
Let the same mind dwell in me
Which is Yours eternally.
7 Comfort my desponding heart;
Thou my Strength and Refuge art.
I am weak, and cunningly
Satan lays his snares for me.
8 Bruise for me the serpent's head
That, set free from doubt and dread,
I may cling to You in faith,
Safely kept through life and death.
9 Then when You will come again
As the glorious king to reign,
I with joy will see Your face,
Freely ransomed by Your grace.
Readings from Holy Scripture
Isaiah 44:9–20 (NKJV)
9Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?
11Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, Let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, They shall be ashamed together.
12The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint.
13The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
14He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
15Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.”
17And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
19And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
20He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
Romans 1:18–25 (NKJV)
18The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:19–24 (NKJV)
19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Response—LSB 247
Catechism Recitation—LSB 321, The First Commandment
Canticle—LSB 248
Closing Hymn—LSB 351, Creator of the Stars of Night
Advent Gatherings Study Outline
“The Time Is Near: Redeeming the Days Before Christ’s Advent”
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”—Ephesians 5:15–16
Series Overview
Time is God’s gift and our stewardship. It reveals whom we fear, love, and trust. The way we spend it shows where our hearts are set—on the passing world or on the world to come. During this Advent season, we remember that the time is short and Christ’s return draws near. These weeks call us to turn from idols that waste our days, to use every moment faithfully in our vocations, and to live as a people set apart, awaiting the fulfillment of all time in His glorious appearing.
Week 1—“No Other Gods: The Heart Devoted to Christ Alone”
Theme:
Time reveals the heart’s allegiance. What we give our time to, we worship. Christ alone must enter and dwell in the heart as Lord, driving out every rival that demands our attention and trust.
The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The Central Thought
All people everywhere are constantly looking for happiness, identity, security, and meaning in life.
Where do people today look to find these things?
Read Luke 12:13–34. Notice the foolishness of the rich man and the reasons Jesus gives for putting our trust in God.
✠ As Christians, we look to the one true God for all that we need. This is the God who created and sustains us, who redeemed us by giving Himself to be crucified for us in the God-man, Jesus, and who sanctifies us through the power of His Holy Spirit. There is no other God.
In what ways does God generously provide me with all that I need for my daily life and my eternal salvation?
A Closer Reading of the Small Catechism
24. What does it mean to have a god?
It means to trust in and rely on something or someone wholeheartedly to help us in times of need and to give us all good things.
59 Isaiah 45:20 They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.
60 Proverbs 11:28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall.
61 Matthew 10:37 [Jesus said,] “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
25. Why does God not want us to have any other gods besides Him?
As our Creator and the only true God, God loves us and knows that only He can provide us with all we need for time and eternity.
62 Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD; that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to carved idols.
63 Matthew 4:10 [Jesus said,] “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.”
64 Romans 1:22–23 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
65 1 Corinthians 8:4 We know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”
26. What does God require of us in the First Commandment?
We should fear, love, and trust in Him above all.
66 Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
67 Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
68 Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
27. Should all people fear, love, and trust in God?
Yes. He created all people to live under His care and to trust and rely upon Him. He is the one true God, who reveals Himself in Jesus Christ, the world’s only Savior. There is no other God.
69 Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You.
70 Acts 17:28–29 “In Him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we are indeed His offspring.” Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
71 1 Corinthians 8:5–6 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
28. What does it mean to fear God above all things?
It means to take God seriously as our Creator and Judge. He means what He says when He threatens to punish those who disobey.
72 Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
73 Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Read Psalm 96:4–13, which tells us to fear the only true God, who made all things and will judge the world.
29. What does it mean to love God above all things?
It means that we cherish and adore God more than anything else and gladly devote our lives to Him.
74 Psalm 73:25–26 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
75 John 14:15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Read Mark 10:17–27, which warns about things that keep us from following God.
30. What does it mean to trust in God above all things?
It means that we rely on God to take care of us and to keep all of His promises to us.
76 Isaiah 30:15 For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
77 1 Peter 5:6–7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
78 Philippians 4:5–6 The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Read Proverbs 3:5–10 and Psalm 115:4; note the various ways that we trust or do not trust God. Our Lord Jesus perfectly trusted His Father in all things (see Luke 23:46).
31. What does it mean to fear, love, and trust in God above all things?
It means that we look to God first and foremost for our well-being, rather than to
A. human achievements such as intellect, technology, or medical advances (Genesis 11:1–9);
B. human goodness or religious devotion (Luke 18:9–14);
C. money and possessions (Luke 18:18–24);
D. pleasures such as food, drink, sex, sports, or entertainment (1 Corinthians 6:12–20);
E. family and friends (Matthew 10:37–39).
32. What happens when we trust in these things rather than our Creator?
We confuse God the Creator with His creation and thus break all the other commandments as well.
Matthew 6:19, 21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Read Exodus 32:1–10; Romans 1:18–25; and Ephesians 5:5
33. What is the relationship between the First and the other commandments?
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things, and therefore gladly seek to keep all of His commandments. When we fear, love, and trust other things more than God, we break all the other commandments as well.
80 Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Read Deuteronomy 30:19–20 and Proverbs 11:28.
34. Can anyone keep this commandment to fear, love, and trust in God above all things?
No. Jesus Christ alone perfectly kept this and all of God’s commandments for us and in our place. But all who have faith in Him by the power of His Spirit willingly strive to obey these commandments.
81 Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
82 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
—Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2017), 58–62.
Connections and Applications
How does time reveal the allegiance of my heart?
Time is a precious resource that cannot be regained once it is spent. What I willingly give my time to shows what I value, desire, and consider necessary in some way for happiness, security, and fulfillment. Just as the use of money reveals what we treasure, the use of time reveals what we fear, love, and trust above all. The patterns of my days uncover the true god or gods of my life.
Matthew 6:20-21 Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Joshua 24:14-15 Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Why is the heart easily deceived about the gods it serves?
After the fall, the human heart is filled with sin and disordered desires. Our sinful nature inclines us toward created things—pleasure, covetousness, anxiety, approval, and earthly pressures—and away from trusting God. At the same time, the Devil and the world continually strive to entice and mislead us, making false gods appear necessary, urgent, or satisfying. As a result, we easily waste the gift of time on what cannot save or devote our days to what others expect of us, rather than shaping our lives around God’s Word, the Means of Grace, prayer, and the fellowship of believers.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Matthew 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Luke 10:40-42 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
What happens when I give my time to things that rival God?
When we give our time to things that rival God—structuring our days around earthly rather than heavenly things—we begin to cling to, depend on, and serve these earthly things instead of God. Rather than being conformed to the image of our Creator, we become like the things to which we devote the firstfruits of our time. In this way, created things become idols, and we break the First Commandment.
Ephesians 4:24 Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
Psalm 115:8 Those who make [idols] are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.
How does Christ free my heart from the idols that claim my time?
Christ enters the heart through His Word and Spirit, exposing false gods, forgiving our misplaced devotion, and reclaiming us as His own. By offering His blood of the new covenant to the Father as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins, He purifies our consciences from the dead works to which we had devoted our time and frees us to serve the living God instead. Christ has redeemed the time in which we now live in this fallen world as we wait for His return in glory to bring us salvation.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
1 Peter 1:18-19 You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Titus 2:14 Jesus gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
What does a life look like when Christ dwells in the heart as Lord?
When Christ dwells in our heart as Lord, our whole life becomes re-centered in Him. By the work of the Holy Spirit, our life becomes centered around Christ and His gifts, receiving them and bearing fruit in patience. Our priorities are reshaped so that the true fount of Israel—the writings of the prophets and apostles—becomes the source and guide of our life. We are drawn into the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers, and from these holy things our daily callings are ordered and renewed. As Christ orders our life around Himself, every earthly thing begins to fall into its proper place beneath God and the things of God.
John 15:4-5 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Matthew 6:31-33 Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Ezekiel 36:24-28 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
Psalm 115:9-11 O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
WH #23, stanzas 4-5
Prayer: Lord God, author and source of all that is good, give us wisdom to fear Your wrath, strength to love You above all things, and faith to trust in Your promises alone, that by Your grace we may serve You all our days and finally come to inherit Your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Luther, Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2017), 66.
For more information about St. Thomas, check out our homepage!
